Yardy extends contract with Sussex

Michael Yardy has signed a three-year deal with Sussex which will keep him with the county side until the end of the 2012 season.

Sussex finished eighth in the County Championship this past season and were relegated to Division Two, but they won the Pro40 title and their maiden Twenty20 Cup at Lord's under Yardy, 29, the latter success earning Sussex a shot at the lucrative Champions League Twenty20 in India. Yardy scored 1,096 runs at 42.15 in the Championship and maintained his reputation as one of the best allrounders in the country in the shorter form of the game.

"I'm very excited to have agreed a new contract and I'm looking forward to helping improve the club and achieving our goals for the 2010 season, with the players and coaching staff," said Yardy

Mark Robinson, Sussex's professional cricket manager, said: "It's fantastic to see the captain, along with other senior players - such as [Chris] Nash, [Ed] Joyce and [Luke] Wright - committing themselves to the Club. Yards led the team brilliantly in his first team as captain. He's only going to grow as a leader and, as a player, he is a massively important cog in both our four and one day aspirations."